Trail of Tears

From the 1830s to the 1840s, the Five Tribes were forcibly removed from their homelands and forced to travel to Indian Territory. The Five Tribes include the Cherokee, Creek, Choctaw, Chickasaw, and Seminole. Each one of these tribes had their own “Trail of Tears” as they weremarched to Indian Territory by the US government. Without enough supplies, many American Indians died on these trips, often more than a thousand miles long. Many American Indians died from disease and exposure to harsh weather on the trip as well. Once in Indian Territory the US government left them without adequate supplies, leading to more deaths. This information is important to know because it changed American Indian culture and their relationship with the United States government forever.

The Trail of Tears by Robert Ottakar Lindneux at the Woolaroc Museum, Bartlesville, Oklahoma.